In September 2017, Britt Meyers, a 2017 Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program graduate, started a fitness business to help women manage their physical and mental health while balancing their school work.

Renew U Fitness is an online fitness program that supports women aged 18 to 25, as they make and meet nutritional and workout goals. Like the business’s name suggests, Meyers hopes that women will experience a sense of rejuvenation on their path to a healthy body. And, as a past student, Meyers believes she has insight into a successful fitness plan for this demographic.

“With university students, a lot of them need help with the accountability factor, so … I do the nutrition guide and the workout, and then I have a private Facebook page to make myself available to them, and then [I] do weekly check-ins,” Meyers said. “So, each week, they will check in with me, and I can alter their plan or help someone with any struggles that they are going through.”

Meyers notes that establishing her own brand was not an easy task. Renew U Fitness has required Meyers to balance her career as a teacher with her role as a nutrition and fitness counsellor. Beyond this, Meyers has also faced criticism, with many wondering how students can afford a personal trainer. As a solution to alleviate the financial impact of hiring a personal trainer, Meyers’s services are offered at a 20 per cent discount for students.

On top of being understanding toward many students’ economic situations, Meyers aims to be accommodating of their hectic schedules.

“It is kind of a priority thing — lots of university students are busy with studying and focusing on school, but they also need to find balance between their own health and school,” Meyers said. “So, you need to realize that your health is important, and in order to do well at school, you need to be healthy yourself.”

Meyers is pleased with the affirmative response that Renew U Fitness has garnered.

“It’s been pretty positive so far,” Meyers said. “I am young myself — I am only 22 — and a lot of my friends and people from my community have reached out to me to let me know how inspiring I have been to them, so that keeps encouraging me.”

Although Renew U Fitness is a relatively new business, Meyers is already looking to expand her services.

“I am actually creating a public e-book — and maybe, looking into creating an app — just because I find that’s kind of the way the world is going. The younger generations are very technologically inclined, so I am working on that right now,” Meyers said.

Although Meyers recognizes that it is difficult to take time off from studying during the school year, she notes that even a little bit of physical activity goes a long way.

“Take time each day, throughout your studies, to get moving. Whether it’s a short fifteen-minute walk or attending a yoga class, make time for yourself,” Meyers said. “When the finals grind begins, we can get very consumed by the books, but we also need to acknowledge our sanity. Staying active has both physical and mental benefits that will allow students to study while striving to be their best self.”

—

Bidushy Sadika

Graphic: Jaymie Stachyruk